Ok, so there’s been a lot of chatter lately around Instrument about Second Life. In fact, we all wasted some time on Friday messing around in there. Justin set up an avatar, and I believe Jason did as well. Within moments of dropping in, Jason teleported to the nearest nude beach and Justin was accosted by men and women looking to make love to his avatar-ass. But alas! he had not purchased his virtual genitalia, so they moved on to one of the other 1.8 million users.
What’s my take? Well, considering the companies, numbers of humans and bustling economy of Second Life, I don’t think we’ve seen the top end of it’s growth. Actually, I believe it’s on the verge of tipping, if not in the middle of the tip-over to mainstream acceptance. I am sure most people currently have no idea what it is, but they will soon.
Will I join? Sure. Will I spend much time in there? No. Not enough time to do what I want to in my first life. Do I think it’s messed up? It’s a mind-bender. But I’ll tell you this: If people play it right, pretty soon, Second Life is going to make the sweetest interactive, Flash website you’ve ever seen look like Pong. It’s the future of marketing to people who use computers. Why go to a company’s website when you can just as easily visit their “world” in Second Life?
I believe the most appealing and compelling feature of Second Life is the ability to make real money in the game. In Second Life, you can earn Linden dollars, spend them and invest them to make more L$. Then you can exchange those for real U$D. The world has spawned all kinds of businesses, the first of which, of course, was prostitution. The second of which seems to be fashion design. But there are architects, graphic designers, restaraunteurs, builders, advertising execs, programmers, musicians, writers and even photographers making a living in Second Life!
The other interesting part about Second Life is to watch the new world develop and try to understand what it shows about people and their motivations. So far, it seems to be completely focused on cheap sex and outward appearance. It’s like, if we earthbound humans were to have a chance to completely start over and create a new world, THESE are the two most important things we’d be compelled to develop? These are the first two motivations of every new Second Life avatar: Buy better clothing and get laid. Fittingly, American Apparel was one of the first businesses to set up shop on their own island in Second Life.
Second Life is the New Frontier. Could it be the new American Dream?
Required website viewing to continue:
- Second Life.
- Second Life on Wikipedia.
- Millions of Us.
- Bathroom Etiquette in Second Life on YouTube.
- Jay-Z on Jimmy Kimmel Live in Second Life on Flickr.
- Nothing to do with 2nd Life, but funny as hell.
Second Life Taglines_Rd1_VRL_11.30.06
- Go back for seconds.
- Your chance for a better life.
- More than a game…
- Be all you can’t be.
- Accelerate your blindness.
- Just fake it.
- The Un-Real Thing.
- The King of Games.
- You Can Get Laid.
- Live Different.
- Try Again.
- Got Cyber?
- Don’t leave home, ever.
- Where’s the beef?
- Tastes fake. Less fulfilling.
- Just do it…again
- Come get a new one.
- Screw your world, live in ours.
- Welcome to the Anti-Social.
- Your Life, Digitally Remastered.
- Please, Come Waste Your Time.
- Everything Means Nothing.
- Yea, you can “do it” in here.
- What Happens Online, Stays Online.
- Monopoly? It’s Fuckolopy!
- W.O.W. is for Nerds.
- Just Be Someone Else.
- Be first at something, quick!
- Reality TV is for wussies.
- Just Say No…to Life.
- Leave the Viagra Behind.
- Why Go Home?
- Lose Weight Permanently!
- The New American Dream.
- A better life for you and me.
- Just Sit There.
- Worship Yourself.
9 responses so far ↓
1 Vince LaVecchia // Dec 3, 2006 at 6:49 pm
from Ty Will-Yums
Sad World: My opnion is that second life is lame and creepy…i dont get it how people do that shit…i watched bathroom etiquette and leanred some stuff though….i wont ever talk in a public bathroom again….or poop my pants.
however second life sounds like a playground for people that cant handle the real world in some fashion or another…im still deciding though, i guess its better than taking drugs????..i said that about myspace and now im on the damn thing…but right now it looks lame…like THE SIMS….the graphics kind blow too, i would think they would be better..
2 Reuben // Dec 4, 2006 at 11:54 pm
You have just written one of the most epic sentences ever.
If people play it right, pretty soon, Second Life is going to make the sweetest interactive, Flash website you’ve ever seen look like Pong.
Nicely done.
3 Vince LaVecchia // Dec 5, 2006 at 12:28 am
Thanks Reuben. Sentences are what I do.
4 J. O'Shea // Dec 6, 2006 at 2:37 pm
“We’ve got some time, just not a lot.” – From your October “Moms and Dads” post.
Are you serious? You’ve got enough time for this shite.
Have a kid, goddamn it. Have a little bearded, baby Vin for cripssake.
At least have one in your second life BS and try that out first. I’m sure it’s just like the real thing.
The natural world will continue to go down the toilet and be ruined by people and no one is going to care because more and more people will be living in a virtual world that seems fine.
Get off your effing arse and get up to Ski Bowl. I hate you for living so close to it and not taking advantage.
Violet will be walking by Christmas. It is great. Merry Holidays.
You know that I really love you, right?
J
P.S. Please fulfill your long-time dream and open up a couple “Shitty’s” establishments in Second Life and see how successful they are. If things go well, open one in Portland. Maybe on that sketchy corner of west burnside and 5th. Have some of the folks who live on the bus mall serve the drinks.
5 vince // Dec 6, 2006 at 10:23 pm
Shitty’s lives on, in my dreams and virtual world. Sitting at Crystal Ballroom watching Blood Bros. and Trail of the Dead. Move back west.
6 Wifey // Dec 7, 2006 at 3:06 pm
That’s a brilliant idea Justin! Vin- we could have like 10 children in Second Life!! Girls for your mother and boys for my parents!!!
Let’s not be pushy on the baby front. Aint no bearded babies happening anytime soon people.
7 J. O'Shea // Dec 8, 2006 at 2:45 pm
I was really just kidding and in an spouting-off mood.
That’s a very personal choice.
I was really just trying to tell someone with such a love for fishing and the outdoors in his blood not to turn into an indoor geek.
I really don’t mean to put any pressure on you at all. Laura and I are in the stage where we’d prolly tell you that you’d be wise NOT to have kids. I’m getting very tired and very bald.
Love always,
J
8 Vince LaVecchia // Dec 8, 2006 at 7:37 pm
Bald bastard.
9 Forrest // Dec 27, 2006 at 8:52 am
Nice. A passed out picture of me.
Ahh. The good ol’ days.
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